Between studio stints with Dream 6 and his brother Jim’s Concrete Blonde, ex-Sparks guitarist-turned-producer Earle Mankey — who launched his solo career with a nifty 1978 single (“Mau Mau” b/w “Crazy”) and an overlapping 1981 EP — issued the six-song Real World. Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde “designed” the cover (the art is an adorable primitive portrait of the artist by his son) and, along with brother Jim, “yells” on one track. “Bigger Than Life” has tongue-in-cheek Nick Lowe charm and harmonies Brian Wilson might enjoy; otherwise Real World passes quickly and uneventfully.
Earle Mankey
See also: Sparks